This Dog is Having A Terrible Day
by InuShiek
Summary: An alternate version of the episode 'Every Dog Has His Day' where Soto actually leaves Earth before the Titans can catch him- taking Beast Boy with him. The Titans have to race to find Beast Boy before it's too late.


okay so you know that Teen Titans episode "Every Dog has his Day" right? Where Soto kidnapped Beast Boy as his new pet? I always start to wonder _what if the Titans hadn't gotten to Beast Boy in time? _What if he'd been taken off the planet for a few days until the Titans could rescue him?

so yeah. have a Teen Titans fic. It's…..a little dark, not gonna lie. happy ending and all. but not particularly _peppy_ in the middle. I plan to continue this one day, but it isn't a cliffhanger.

* * *

"Engines ready. Hang on new dog, time to go home!" the large alien says happily as he pushes buttons at the helm of his starship.

"I _am_ home! Now let me go!" Beast Boy yells, straining against his collar and tether with all his might as the ship begins to take off.

"Bye bye," Soto waves to the disappearing tree line.

The higher the ship rises above the Earth's surface, the less the green boy struggles. He can't break free on his own. Where are his friends? Aren't they looking for him? Do they….even care?

Beast Boy sighs, "See ya," he says dejectedly before sinking down onto the cushion Soto, or as the human likes to call him, Rock Head, had so _graciously_ provided. The Titans had been ignoring him for a long time- not just today. It seemed like they never wanted him around…. Maybe…they didn't _want_ to look for him… Maybe they liked having him gone?

"Okay, Doggy, Soto has told ship where to go. Change now," Rock Head sits down to watch Beast Boy.

"For the last time, I am NOT YOUR DOG! And my name is Beast Boy!"

"Bad dog! Soto said change!" he presses the button on the remote control that Beast Boy is quickly starting to loathe.

The moment the electric shock dissipates to a bearable level, Beast Boy morphs into an eagle.

"Change," Soto orders, pressing the button again before the human can even consider following the command.

Beast Boy hesitates for only a moment as he watches the Moon pass by the flying saucer's window. In a last ditch effort, he transforms into the intimidating animal from Tamaran that had lined the main hall of the royal palace. Roaring, Beast Boy throws himself against the glowing red tether. When it fails to break, he turns on it, chomping on the offending cable with his teeth.

"Change," Soto presses the button again.

Beast Boy only pulls harder.

"Change!" Rock Head yells, standing as he presses the button and holds it down this time.

Unable to withstand the electric shock for very long, Beast Boy relents and morphs into a zebra.

This amuses Rock Head- apparently satisfying his need to see more animals for now. The alien walks deeper into his ship, still laughing and leaving the green zebra alone on the bridge.

—

It had taken the Titans longer to capture the mysterious green dog than they anticipated- mainly because a simple method of detaining the creature took time to formulate. Raven could have formed a bubble around the green dog with her powers, but that would only last so long as she could maintain focus and the dog was not strong enough to put up much of a struggle.

Cyborg was finally the one to build the sphere that could capture and contain the alien indefinitely without risk of injury to it or themselves.

When Raven was able to lure the dog into the trap, the last thing the Teen Titans predicted would be that the dog could talk- much less that it was willing to help them. In fact, it had only been evading them because he thought it was immense fun.

"Soto no doubt has already left your planet with your Beast Boy," the dog informs the Titans once they are back at the tower, "And he will make his way to one of four planets. Soto owns homes on each world. He has no pattern as to which he prefers to visit at any particular time. We will likely have to search each planet in turn to find your friend."

"How far away are the planets? The T-Ship wasn't built for long voyages," Cyborg asks, already running through the list of modifications he'll have to make to the submarine-cum-starship to make it suitable for a long trip.

"At the speeds your ship appears to be capable of, we should reach the nearest planet in two days," the alien dog replies.

"Tell me again why you're being so helpful?" Raven inquires.

"Soto is in possession of my squeaky toys. I wish to have them back."

"Fair enough," Raven shrugs.

"I'll need some time to modify the T-Ship. Should be ready to leave by tomorrow morning," Cyborg informs them.

"Good. Better get started. We need to find this Soto and get Beast Boy back," Robin dismisses the team.

—

"Good dog," Soto smiles.

After several hours of half-hearted struggling, Beast Boy had admitted defeat. No animal form he could come up with- not a snake, mouse, eel, or even an amoeba- had allowed him to escape the collar, and nothing had been strong enough to break the red line that keeps him anchored to the floor. The green boy is currently lying on the cushion, exhausted and dejected.

"Don't worry, Doggy, we are close to home now. Soto will take care of you, Doggy," Rock Head continues to babble.

Beast Boy quickly tunes him out. How far from Earth are they? _Where_ are they? How long will he be trapped here? Sighing, Beast Boy curls up on his side and does his best not to think of anything in order to avoid the feeling of despair that is looming.

—-

"Cyborg?" Starfire inquires early the next morning. Robin, Raven, and the alien dog follow Starfire into the launch silo where the T-Ship is housed and Cyborg is currently working.

Cyborg had been up all night adding additional oxygen tanks and modifying the engines to go faster. As much as he teases Beast Boy, the shortest Titan had quickly become Cyborg's best friend. No one else had warmed up to him so fast- had never treated him differently because of his robotic components- had shared his love of video games and pranks- had been such a good friend. "All ready," he answers the red haired girl, "The grass stain better be grateful, I stayed up all night." Despite his harsh words, his concern is very apparent to all the gathered Titans.

"Good work, Cyborg," Robin claps him on the shoulder, "Titans, let's get our friend back."

The Teen Titans board the ship, and the alien dog borrows the seat of Beast Boy in the center of the vehicle. Everyone buckles in and prepares for lift off.

"Hang on, BB, we're on our way," Cyborg promises as he begins countdown.

—-

"Here's your new home, Doggy," Rock Head declares, dragging Beast Boy along behind him.

Beast Boy actually prefers the space ship, but, despite transforming into an ox, Soto pulls him along without apparent effort. Reverting to human form, the boy glares at the big alien. "MY NAME IS BEAST BOY!"

Soto fastens the red tether to an anchor in the wall that looks as strong as the one on the ship had been. "Wait here, Doggy. Soto will get squeaky toys for you. Soto will also get food and water. Soto will take care of new dog," Rock Head nods and smiles as if he really expects Beast Boy to be happy with his accommodations before he walks away.

The room he's in seems to be the main hallway. The front door is three times Soto's height, as is the ceiling. It's plenty large to contain any form Beast Boy could take, and he doubts the walls are weak enough to be smashed through considering how thick they must be to support their own weight- not to mention he can't get much of a run-and-go. Windows line the ceiling, allowing light to stream in.

Morbid curiosity urges Beast Boy to morph into a donkey when Rock Head leaves. With as much strength as he can muster- and more than a little hope and optimism- Beast Boy kicks at the anchor point on the wall. He's rewarded only with a dull metallic clang.

"Bad dog!" Soto presses the Titan's least favorite button in the universe, "You should not make Soto's wall ugly. Soto's friends are coming to see new dog. Soto wants home to look good."

"Tough," Beast Boy snaps after he returns to human form, "I'm not here to entertain your friends, I'm not your dog, and I definitely don't care if your wall is perfectly shiny or not!"

Another electric shock from the collar, and Beast Boy can only slump down onto the cushion that was here prior to his arrival. Soto leans down to the green boy, forcefully reminding him how out of his control things are. "Bad dog. Soto will punish."

Beast Boy braces himself in anticipation of another jolt of electricity, but Rock Head just walks away and sits down in a throne. The alien turns on what looks like the equivalent of a television set and immediately begins laughing at the antics of the on-screen characters- forgetting all about Beast Boy for the moment.

Confused, the human remembers that Soto had brought food (strange though it may be) and water, and his struggling had made him hungry. Beast Boy stretches his foot out and manages to drag the bowl of water close enough to drink from. Transforming into a dog, Beast Boy leans down to drink some of the refreshing looking water.

An electric shock makes him yelp and leap backwards, however. Casting a glance up at Rock Head only to find him still engrossed in his television show, Beast Boy tries again.

Soto presses The Button again.

Beast Boy transforms into human form once more. "Dude, what is your problem!?" he yells, "I wasn't doing anything to your wall!"

"Soto will punish new dog," he repeats, never looking away from his television and laughing as one of the characters trips over his own foot and falls into what could be an alien sandbox for all the human knows.

Color draining from his face and ears drooping, Beast Boy realizes now that Soto isn't as benignly stupid as he thought. Rock Head is willing to withhold food and water as well as use The Button to force the green human to obey him.

Growling, Beast Boy picks up the bowl of water and flings it at the alien, spraying water all over the room. "I am not your dog!" he yells for the umpteenth time.

Rock Head's only response is to employ The Button.

—

The Titans sleep in shifts. Two of them have to monitor the T-Ship's systems at a time, and it's currently Raven and the alien dog's turn.

"If you can talk, how did you become Soto's dog?" the girl asks after an hour of silence.

The dog's attention turns to Raven at her question, "Oh, that's a boring story. How did _you_come to be in possession of your green companion?"

Raven turns her head to frown at the alien dog, "Beast Boy isn't a possession- he's a friend. The five of us formed a team, and he is part of it."

"So you've said. When you believed that I was your Beast Boy, your group asked why I did not resume human form. Is he a shapeshifter?" the alien dog inquires.

"Yes. He can become any animal he wishes. He was probably a dog when Soto grabbed him, thinking he was you."

"Yes, he was a dog when we, quite literally, ran into each other. I must say I was surprised to find who I thought was another like myself on this planet," the dog comments. He stands in Beast Boy's seat and walks in a tight circle before he flops down and out of Raven's sight.

"Trust me, we were just as surprised to find a green dog who _wasn't_ Beast Boy," the dark girl mutters. In truth, she had been somewhat relieved to discover that the dog wasn't Beast Boy. After all, if it had been Beast Boy who had been giving her sloppy licks all day…. Well, that would be more awkward than Raven would like to admit.

—

When Soto had finally decided to retire (did alien rock people need sleep?), he took the cushion and food away with him. Rock Head didn't bother with the empty water bowl, though.

Beast Boy is left trembling and panting. "I have _got_ to get out of here," he mutters once he finally recovers. He transforms into a triceratops and wedges one of his horns into the anchor point before he twists his head, hoping to use his horn as a lever to pry the deceptively small ring of metal open.

—

"We're coming up on the first planet. Everyone on your toes," Robin announces. The four Titans tense up. The alien dog, who apparently did not have a name for himself, had said Soto may be on any one of four planets, so Beast Boy may not even be here. The Teen Titans will still be ready, no matter what.

The T-Ship lands at the coordinates the dog provided. The five exit the ship, and the four Titans are surprised to find more of a palace than a house.

"Just who is this Soto anyway?" Cyborg asks.

"He is the next in line for the Klorinian throne," the dog replies, sniffing the air as he approaches the doorway.

Starfire gasps, "The Klorinian people? Oh, friends, we must hurry. I fear Beast Boy may be in more danger than we realized."

—-

Beast Boy is woken by the sound of multiple sets of approaching footsteps. After several more hours of what the green boy was quickly beginning to realize was useless struggling, he had collapsed into an exhausted sleep on the hard floor. He hadn't rested well by any stretch of the imagination- or very long, for that matter.

"Do you like Soto's new dog?" Rock Head asks.

Groggy, Beast Boy looks up to see four of the rock aliens staring down at him.

"Gron thinks it doesn't look like a dog," one of them says.

"Doggy! Soto want you to change!"

Beast Boy glares up at Soto. "I'm not your dog, I'm nobody's pet, and I'm not going to entertain your friends!" he yells, anger giving him energy.

This makes Gron and Soto's other two friends laugh, while Soto himself looks very angry. "Soto said change!" he orders. Then The Button comes into play again.

Before he realizes he's done anything, the green human has transformed into a dog.

The three new rock aliens laugh and clap, much like Soto himself had the first time. "Change," Rock Head and The Button order again.

A ram is Beast Boy's response.

"Change," The Button commands.

A giraffe.

"Change," The Button decrees.

A peacock.

"Change," The Button ordains.

A Koala.

On and on it goes.

"Titans! Let's get this door open!" Robin orders, and the four teens prepare to blast the door open.

"There's no need for that," the alien dog interrupts them, "I can open it from inside." With that, he slides under the door way the same way he slipped through Cyborg's fingers back on Earth and opens the door from within. "I don't believe your friend is here, nor is Soto, but there may be a clue somewhere as to where he is now," he declares before he heads directly toward his former master's quarters- where the rock life form spends much of his time.

Robin hides his disappointment, "You heard him. Titans, split up and look for anything that can lead us to Beast Boy."

—

By the time the three visitors finally left, Beast Boy had transformed into hundreds of animals, and he's utterly exhausted.

Soto had granted him his cushion back before leaving Beast Boy alone once more, but had refused to give him any food or water on the basis that "Doggy said no first." What good is a cushion when he can't allow himself to rest? He's got to get out of here!

"But how?" Beast Boy asks himself miserably, "It's not like I haven't already tried everything!" Taking a deep breath to try to calm himself down and rid himself of a spell of dizziness, Beast Boy tries to think clearly. If the collar automatically adjusts to his size, and he can't slip out of it, maybe he can break it instead?

—-

"I have it!" calls the alien dog from the main room. The Titans quickly rendezvous back. "Soto has gone to Berlax Three. I am certain your friend is there as well," he informs them.

"Let us hurry," Starfire is the first one to react. The dog provides coordinates, and the Titans are quickly on their way to a planet only a few short hours away.

—

After two hours or trying to smash the collar, all he's gained is a sore neck. Resisting the urge to cry, he morphs into a horse. Horses can sleep standing up, which works with his last plan of escape. His throat aches in thirst, but he ignores it. To get water, he'll have to surrender to Soto, and that is not an option.

Beast Boy splays his legs, giving himself more stability (which is good considering how dizzy he suddenly feels), and begins repeatedly swaying his neck, tugging on the collar each time. He doesn't put much force behind his attempts or else he'll really injure himself. Instead of forcefully breaking the collar, Beast Boy is hoping he'll wear it thin where the red cable is attached. Once he's established a rhythm, the green boy allows himself to doze off while maintaining his constant wear on the collar.

—

They land the ship far enough away that Soto will not know that he is about to have visitors. Starfire holds one of Cyborg's hands and one of Robins. Raven sighs, but lifts the dog into her arms. The two girls take flight, carrying their ground-locked companions to the outer wall of Soto's second palace.

"I recommend some reconnaissance. It is nearly morning. Soto may be up and about at this time," the alien dog says quietly. The Titans acknowledge him by flying silently to the high windows that surround what looks to be an entrance hall and peering in.

Starfire and Raven nearly drop their passengers.

They can see Beast Boy, but he doesn't look good. He's in the form of a horse at the moment, and his coat, instead of being the tussled-but-shiny fur and/or hair that their green friend usually sports, is dingy and unkempt. He looks like he's half asleep with his nose nearly touching the floor, even though he is repeatedly tugging at a glowing red tether of some sort that is keeping him anchored in place.

Robin begins to order the Titans to move in, but who he assumes is Soto enters the room before he gets the chance.

—

"Change, and Doggy can have food and water," Soto announces, carrying two bowls in his hands.

Beast Boy's only reaction is a vague twitch of one ear, but he is unaware of the rock alien's presence. All he knows is that nearly three days of being forced to transform repeatedly with no food or water and little rest have left him severely fatigued and weak.

Dropping the two bowls, earning a slightly more energetic flick of an ear in his direction, Soto gets the green boy's attention.

"Change." The Button.

Donkey.

The Button.

Llama.

The Button.

Bull.

The Button.

Lion.

The Button.

Camel.

The Button.

Camel.

The Button. The Button. The Button.

Camel.

The Button. The Button. The Button. The Button. The Button. The Button.

Opossum.

The Button.

Goat.

The Button.

Horse.

—-

The longer they watch as Soto repeatedly laughs and says "change" before shocking their friend, the angrier the Teen Titans become.

"Titans," Robin growls, "Let's take this pile of rocks down."

With her eyes lighting in fury, Starfire hurls Cyborg and Robin through one of the windows and straight at Soto. Raven dissolves through the wall, bringing the alien dog along with her.

Cyborg and Robin attack Soto with all their might, but it's like fighting a literal brick wall.

"No! You can't have Soto's dog!" the rock alien yells, stowing the remote control in his jumpsuit, "Soto's dog belongs to Soto!" He swings at the two Teen Titans, but they dodge his blow.

"He is not your dog!" Starfire yells before hurling star bolts at Soto.

—

Beast Boy blinks. Sounded like a crash?

The repetition of "change" followed by pain stopped.

Starfire?

Forcing his brain back into working order rather than his half-asleep state, Beast Boy turns his head to look at the main part of the room and not the floor for the first time. He finds the energy to be surprised. Unfortunately, this expenditure of extra energy and slight shift in his balance makes Beast Boy begin to fall, and he's too dizzy from dehydration and weak from hunger to correct himself. One of his legs gets twisted beneath him, but he can't bring himself to care- not when he'd give anything for some water… Hunger he can deal with, but not this desperate, burning thirst.

—

Raven rushes to Beast Boy, alien dog following her, and she kneels down next to the green horse's head while the other Titans keep Soto busy. Beast Boy is breathing weakly, and he's licking repeatedly. It's obvious he's severely dehydrated.

Fury bubbles up within Raven, and, for once, she doesn't even try to contain it. She lets it fuel her power as her eyes glow. "Azarath Metrion Zenthos!" she chants, and she grabs onto the rock alien. "No one hurts my friends," she says before she hurls Soto out of one of the windows and watches him fly through the air until he disappears from sight.

"He had the remote to the collar!" Robin scolds.

"It is not necessary for removal," the alien dog says. He stretches his tongue out and slides it in between Beast Boy's neck and the collar. By curling it into a circle, the dog is able to line the collar with his tongue and thus fool the device into thinking its wearer's neck has increased in size. The dog continues to expand his tongue until Raven is able to slide it off of Beast Boy without any trouble.

"Get water," Raven commands, still kneeling at Beast Boy's head as she tosses the collar away.

Starfire quickly flies to the bowl that Soto had abandoned on the floor and brings it back. "Tell me Beast Boy will be okay now please," she worries.

Raven lifts the horse's neck and lies it in her lap, supporting Beast Boy's head while the Tamaranian sets the bowl of water in front of him. "I don't know, Starfire. He hasn't had any water in a while…" she shakes her head.

—-

He can smell his friends nearby, but Raven is the strongest. Something hot and wet wraps around his neck, and then the collar is gone.

Beast Boy starts to wonder how, but it becomes unimportant when his tongue hits what feels and tastes like water. Surging forward, he sucks down all the water he can reach, though it isn't much for a horse. He can't concentrate enough to transform into anything else, however.

—-

Raven nearly curses when Beast Boy can only twitch to reach for the water. She lifts and tilts the bowl for him, allowing him to drain it. She holds it back up to the other Titans, "He'll need a lot more."

The three Titans immediately depart, each searching for the water source that Soto no doubt had.

"I am sorry for this," the alien dog begins, "Soto is not the smartest of creatures. He likely couldn't realize that your friend is not the same as me. I only need a small amount of water every few weeks, even though I _like_ to drink every day. I doubt Soto knew he was harming your friend, but instead thought he was withholding a privilege- merely a simple pleasure and not a vital component to his life."

"That doesn't make what he did any better," Raven struggles to keep her voice even. She isn't used to being this emotional, but seeing Beast Boy in such a weakened state…

"No, it doesn't. I merely thought you might like to know that Soto did not do this on purpose," the alien dog replies. He spots the leg that has become pinned beneath Beast Boy's weight, and he can tell it isn't likely comfortable for him. To avoid injuring the green Titan with his teeth, the dog wraps his tongue around the trapped limb and pulls it free.

—

Groaning in relief, Beast Boy is glad someone fixed his leg. He's starting to feel slightly better, but still too weak to do much other than swivel one ear and listen to Raven's heartbeat and breathing. He's been listening to her talk to a voice he doesn't recognize, but their words don't really sink in- only their voices. It's comforting, all the same.

But….why is she here? And the other Titans? Did Rock Head capture them too?

Panic floods Beast Boy and he struggles to stand. He can't just lay here if his friends have been captured!

—

"Easy, Beast Boy," Raven says when he begins to kick his legs ineffectively, "Save your strength. Beast Boy?"

Her green friend doesn't seem to hear her. He nearly manages to kick the alien dog, but hasn't accomplished anything that resembles standing.

Taking a deep breath to calm herself, Raven reaches out with her mind. If Beast Boy can't hear her, maybe he'll be able to feel her.

—-

Something touches his mind, and Beast Boy goes stiff. The presence disappears, and he briefly wonders if he'd just imagined it.

Then it comes back. A wave of enforced calm washes over him, and Beast Boy relaxes against his will. His friends could be in trouble, and he's just _laying_ here!

A whisper sweeps through him in a voice he knows very well.

It's Raven_._ The realization that the thing forcing him to relax is one of his friends makes the green teenager actually calm down of his own choosing. If she's telling him to calm down, things must be under control.

—

Raven withdraws from his mind when he seems to be calmed down. She could have made an apparition of herself appear to Beast Boy in his mind, but that would require a lot more focus and discipline than Raven feels she's capable of at the moment.

The other three Titans each return with more water, and Raven helps their green member drink.

"Is he going to be okay?" Robin asks.

Cyborg runs a scan. "BB was dry, but he's already coming back. It'll take a while for his system to rehydrate. We'll need to get him back to the ship and get some food and more liquids in him as soon as we can, but he's going to be fine."

—

_Finally_ he has water. He doesn't feel too thirsty anymore, but still weak. He can think clearly enough to know that most of the water he drank hasn't hit his bloodstream yet, but he's drank enough for his brain to tell him he's had enough for the moment.

Was that Robin? And Cyborg?

Closing his eyes, Beast Boy tries to focus- tries to kick his brain into gear.

"-hear us? Oh, I fear our friend may have a case of the Turellian Syndrome!"

Starfire? Turellian what?

Beast Boy opens his eyes and the widened field of view his current form possesses allows him to see his friends now that he's thinking clearly enough to actually _see_. He sighs, exhaling with a tired snort. He briefly considers reverting to human form, but decides against it for now. He's too comfortable, and transforming would require more energy than he wants to spend right now.

—-

"Star, easy. Give him time. His hydration level is rising," Cyborg reassures the Tamaranian girl.

The Titans hadn't even noticed the alien dog had left until he returns dragging a box that looks like it is filled with squeaky toys. "Now may not be the best of times, but I wish to request that you allow me to go back to your planet. I rather liked Earth," he says.

"If you can stay out of trouble and don't terrorize the citizens, I don't see a problem," Robin answers. Any other time he probably would have said no, but this dog had lead them straight to Beast Boy- no tricks- no bargains.

—-

Gathering his energy, Beast Boy struggles to his feet. He's careful not to step on or hit Raven, but otherwise doesn't try to make it look graceful. Once standing, he lets his head hang down until his nose is touching the floor to try to keep from getting so dizzy.

"Beast Boy! Glorious!" Starfire rushes over and hugs the green horse around the base of his neck and nearly knocks him back over. She has to steady him and he splays his legs farther out to try to remain standing. "Friend, please, resume human form so that we may speak," she asks.

Beast Boy hates to refuse his friend, but he knows that if he doesn't have four legs underneath him, he's going to fall again. He's panting from the small exertion, but he's feeling better with every passing minute.

"Cyborg?" the Tamaranian asks worriedly.

He can hear Cyborg running a scan on him and flicks an ear in his direction to better hear the verdict.

"Maybe he _is_ stuck," Robin begins, referring back to the conversation the Titans had in the park when they thought the alien dog was Beast Boy, "What if he transformed so much that he can't switch back?"

"I don't think that's it," Cyborg interrupts before anyone can start to panic, "I can't find anything wrong with him. Maybe it's just easier for him if he stays like he is now instead of being in his human form."

He snorts tiredly in acknowledgement. Horses can lock their legs to allow them to sleep standing up. This is also handy to remain on your feet while you wait for your body to absorb the water you just drank, you feel dizzy, and you really just want to lie back down.

"Beast Boy," Robin comes over to kneel down next to his head, "We need to get out of here before Soto comes back. Do you feel up to Raven transporting us back to the ship?"

His ears flick backwards for a moment. Raven's teleportation always makes him feel nauseous- it's so dark and it feels like wind is swirling around and you're falling all at the same time. But…Soto is on his way back.

"We'll wait a few more minutes," Robin says, seeing Beast Boy's apprehension, "Raven and Starfire, why don't you two get more water and transport it to the ship and fill the tanks? We'll stay with Beast Boy."

The two girls nod and head off to do as Robin suggested.

Beast Boy closes his eyes as he tries to ward off another bout of vertigo. What he wouldn't give for a hot and juicy mushroom burger and a cold glass of soy milk right now… His stomach growls loudly and he begins mouthing at the floor on instinct- searching for grass.

"We've got food on the ship, BB. We'll have you feeling better in no time," Cyborg promises, laying a gentle hand on his friend's shoulder.

Forcing himself to stop trying to eat the floor, Beast Boy sighs. Actually, a nap sounds like the best thing right now…

—

"All we have is junk food, Cyborg," Robin points out. The Titans hadn't planned on Beast Boy being famished when they found him, so they had only brought potato chips, candy, and other snacks that would travel well- certainly nothing nutritious.

"I know, but junk food is better than nothing. He needs electrolytes- salt, potassium, that sort of thing. That's a big reason why he's so weak, and plain water isn't replacing those. We'll hurry back to the Tower and get him a good meal, but we have to give him anything we've got right now, healthy or not," the cyborg replies. He doesn't doubt that Beast Boy struggled to free himself, and that exertion hadn't helped him maintain his strength. Besides, it isn't like the green Titan had a lot of excess energy in the form of fat to burn in the first place.

"We filled the water tanks, and the oxygen tanks have replenished themselves," Raven announces after she and Starfire rise up out of the floor from a black portal, "Is he ready?"

"Beast Boy, you ready?" Robin asks, still kneeling next to the green horse, but said horse doesn't so much as twitch.

"Yo, B," Cyborg calls. Beast Boy remains unresponsive.

"I think he's-"

"BEAST BOY!" Starfire yells as loudly as she can.

With a squeal, Beast Boy's head snaps upright, eyes wide with fright. He rears up, but loses his balance and tumbles over onto his side.

"-Asleep," Raven finishes, rolling her eyes slightly.

—-

Beast Boy's ears flatten against his skull in agitation when he realizes that he'd wasted every bit of energy he'd only just gained as he tries to control his breathing. Capitalizing on the adrenaline pumping through him, Beast Boy heaves himself upright again before his limbs can stop obeying him- even though they are trembling.

"Let's just go," Raven says, gathering her power and wrapping the Titans and alien dog in a black bubble.

Groaning at the familiar, uncomfortable feeling of being enveloped in darkness and transported, Beast Boy hangs his head down and sways on his feet. He feels Raven wrap a secondary bubble around him, and it makes the journey much more bearable.

When they arrive at the T-Ship and Raven disperses her powers, Starfire gasps.

"Friend!" she exclaims, lifting Beast Boy's head in her hands until his face is level with hers, "You look green! Well…green_er_. Oh, I just _know_ it is Turellian Syndrome!"

The abrupt change in altitude causes the blood to rush from his head, making his vision black out and legs wobble beneath him.

"Star, it's not Turellian Syndrome. It's just a lack of food and water. Beast Boy is going to be fine," Robin assures her.

"You have not seen Turellian Syndrome like I have. It strikes fast, leaving its victims with tentacles protruding from their ears and a horn on each ankle," Starfire frets.

"BB's fine, Starfire, look," Cyborg shows the Tamaranian the scans he just ran, "We just need to get him on the ship and get him some food before we head home."

Beast Boy's ears prick forward. Home? Oh man that sounds nice. Home. Food, a fridge, his bed, Gamestation, food… He neighs softly. Why haven't they gotten him on the ship yet?

"We can't get you on board while you're a horse," Raven points out in her deadpan voice. Knowing that the green Titan is safe has allowed her to once more hide her emotions, though she is feeling more of them than she is accustomed to with seeing how weak Beast Boy still is.

Oh yeah…he's still a horse so he can remain standing. He remembers now.

"Just change i-"

His eyes widen and he snorts in alarm. A lemur.

"-nto something small…Well alright then," Cyborg blinks. He scoops the small primate up into his arms and carries Beast Boy to the center of the T-Ship.

Once Beast Boy is settled in his seat, Starfire hovers over. "I have brought some chipped potatoes," she opens the bag for Beast Boy and offers it to the small green monkey.

Beast Boy reaches for the bag, his grip barely strong enough to hold on, and immediately dives face first into it.

"Let's go home," Robin announces, turning to look at the alien dog, "You can ride with someone other than Beast Boy."

"Not me," Cyborg deadpans, "Not after pretending I was a fire hydrant."

Starfire opens several more snacks for Beast Boy, placing them within easy reach, before she takes her seat. "I would not mind," she offers space to the dog.

"I would be honored," the dog smiles before leaping into the Tamaranian's lap.

The remaining Titans buckle in and prepare the ship for launch while Beast Boy continues to chow down. "Uh, we might want to hurry," Raven points at the horizon where a figure that looks like Soto is charging toward them.

"Titans, let's go!" Robin orders.

Cyborg kicks the engines into high gear. The T-Ship blasts off, leaving Soto and Berlax Three behind them at record speeds. Four of the Teen Titans cheer, but their fifth member merely begins consuming another bag of potato chips after he'd downed an entire can of soda.

—

Finally, Beast Boy sighs- his hunger sated for now. He knows his teammates are all watching him, no matter how they try to hide it, so the green little lemur doesn't look up. Instead, he curls up in his seat and wraps his tail around himself to keep warm. Immediately, Beast Boy drifts off into the first true sleep he's gotten since being abducted.

—

"Friends, I worry for Beast Boy," Starfire frets, "Why has he not spoken to us?"

Cyborg double checks that Beast Boy's speakers are disabled so he won't be disturbed by the other Titans' conversation. "We don't really know much about his powers…Maybe it takes too much energy to transform," he suggests.

"Even so, why did he morph into a lemur and not human form?" Robin points out.

Raven sighs, "Beast Boy was the pet of an alien rock for almost three days. Would _you_ want to talk about it? Besides, he didn't _want_ to transform. He only did because Cyborg said 'change'."

"Say what?" Cyborg raises a brow in Raven's direction.

"Nevermind," the pale girl deadpans. Apparently, she's the only one who has realized that Beast Boy isn't going to come out of this unscathed.

"And….you are _sure_ that it is not Turellian Syndrome?" Starfire presses.

"Starfire, we're sure," Robin turns in his seat to give a reassuring smile to the Tamaranian.

—

When he finally wakes up, Beast Boy grudgingly admits that he has the energy to resume human form. While he doesn't look forward to having to answer the questions he knows his friends have, remaining a lemur isn't all that appealing either. On the plus side, he only feels half as weak now as he was before he went to sleep.

With a sigh, Beast Boy transforms. He doesn't say anything, but reaches for the thermos that is stocked in each section of the T-Ship. Filling it to the brim with water from the dispenser, he chugs the whole thing in a matter of seconds.

"Yo B, you ok?" comes Cyborg's voice over the speaker system.

Beast Boy refills his thermos and drains it half again before he sits it down and reaches for another bag of chips. "M'fine," he mutters. Slumping down in his seat, he tries to hide from the other Titans. He usually loves his location at the center of the T-Ship, but right now all it means is that he can't swivel his chair and turn his back like the others can.

"Greetings friend! Tell me, are you felling the better?"

"Yeah," the green human gives a small smile, "What's with the dog?" He remembers seeing it before, and now he's finally thinking clearly enough to realize it's probably the same one that bowled him over in the park.

"Greetings," the dog's head pops up into view, "My name is Grub. I'm terribly sorry I ran into you back on Earth, but I was trying to evade our former master."

Beast Boy growls. "He's not my master, former or otherwise! I am nobody's pet! You got that?" he yells, making himself lightheaded again.

The T-Ship is painfully silent for several long, tense moments. The only time the Titans had heard Beast Boy so angry was back when he was being affected by those chemicals that turned him into a beast. The dog, Grub, finally clears his throat, "My apologies, Beast Boy."

"Tch, 'apologies,'" Beast Boy cuts himself off by delving into another bag of potato chips.

"Hey, BB, you okay?" Cyborg finally asks.

Beast Boy finishes off the chips before he answers, sinking down in his chair. "I just want to go home, eat a hot, steamy mushroom burger, have some soy milk, and sleep, Cy."

Cyborg begins draining power from non-essential systems and shunting it into the engines to boost their speed. "I'll fire up the grill as soon as we get home, BB," he promises.

"You won't try to sneak in meat or real milk, will you?" Beast Boy mutters, beginning to fall asleep.

"Nah, I won't. Promise."


End file.
